Here is what Howrse has to say on staying safe:
You must follow some basic rules to play in the best of conditions:
- Never give out your password,
- do not register on sites that pretext to offer you passes so as to steal your account,
- choose a password that is difficult to guess
It is also recommended that you do not post any personal information on your presentation, and that you have an anonymous avatar so you cannot be identified.
Why stay anonymous?
Not giving out personal information prevents you from being targeted - people may choose to bully you if they know you are a child. It also prevents people from searching for you on social media such as Instagram and Facebook, and if you are one of those who posts their entire lives on social media then this is letting a complete stranger know every detail of your life and your family's - compromising their safety too. Posting a lot of information can also lead to people trying to guess your password if your password is something to do with a pet's name or a hobby - this is why you should have a longer, complex password, as it makes your account safer.
How can I be in harm on Howrse?
Unfortunately there are many ways people can hurt and upset you through what appears to just be a browser game, and sadly there are people who spend their time thinking of ways to scam and bully players in an online community for no apparent reason. Here are some of the things you should look out for and how to stay protected to carry on enjoying Howrse.
Bullying and Harassment: Some people just want to send you nasty messages regardless of whether they have a reason or if they know you personally. Some will even go as far as to create new accounts just to bully you. You should never respond to nasty messages as it just makes it worse as they have a reason to reply and send more nastiness. You can report messages for bullying and harassment and blacklist accounts so they can no longer message you. I personally do not recommend taking the matter to the Game Play forum and asking people what to do, as then the bully will know they're upsetting you. If it all gets out of hand take the issue discretely straight to a Moderator, it is their job to help keep players feeling safe on Howrse, and they will help you out.
Scams: There are several different ways of being scammed on Howrse:
"Free Pass Sites": Just give us your username and password and we'll put passes on your account....these sites will simply steal your account. NEVER use these sites, there are plenty of ways to get passes for free through official channels.
"Unofficial Trades": These include trading horses for items or selling horses for more than possible in the direct sales by selling several horses or items to people. These trades have been banned because of the amount of scams as players were being scammed out of equus and items and not receiving the goods. To put it simply. DO NOT use unofficial means of paying for horses, regardless of how desperate you are or how trustworthy you think someone is, there is no guarantee of your asset safety.
"Co-Management Scamming": When you allow someone co-management, they have access to all your BMIs, your best team horses and your passes - and all of these can be used. They can use all of your saved up items and APs, ruin your EC prestige by not rotating fields etc, sell your items and use up all your equus, use all of your passes and send coverings from your best horses to their horses without your permission. They cannot sell your horses but they can kill them off or place them in the Safe Haven. Remember you cannot pay somebody for AP Hunting and you should always choose carefully when entrusting your account with somebody - imagine you are handing them your entire account instead of limited features; who would you trust? Mods recommend only choosing people who you know, or as a last resort just leave your account unchecked whilst you cannot log on or AP Hunt yourself, at least this way any problems can be resolved.
Account and Identity Theft: Accounts can be hacked. Regardless of your password safety. If you suspect your account has been compromised, you should Contact Howrse immediately, and change the password of your account AND the email address it has been connected to. Change your password every now and then if you are worried about safety.
People can also steal any information you give out about yourself, including pictures. Avoid posting photos where possible and you can put your username in the corner using Paint etc. as a watermark so the image cannot be stolen. You can report identity theft to moderators, and it is always best to go discretely to a mod instead of confronting somebody over the issues.
Remember to remain courteous and polite at all times to all people. Acknowledge your mistakes and respect the rules. Most importantly have fun - spread the love of horses and Howrse instead of disrespect and hate.
Happy Howrseing and stay safe,
F x
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